


Smuggled Goods

by ActingItUp



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Cats, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 16:18:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11361054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ActingItUp/pseuds/ActingItUp
Summary: David gets an illegal kitten and Jack isn't thrilled about it... until he is.





	Smuggled Goods

_Meow, meow, meow._

  
Jack groaned. This had been going on for  _weeks_. The mewling kitten was driving him insane. He looked over at his alarm clock.

  
2:58 am.

  
“You’re fucking kidding me,” Jack spat as he got out of bed. He’d never realized just how thin the walls of his apartment actually were.

  
His neighbor had moved in just a few months ago, Jack only meeting him when they ran into each other on the stairwell on a day the elevator had been down for repairs.

_  
“Shit!” Jack hissed as he stumbled back down a few steps, desperately trying not to twist an ankle._

_  
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry! I should have been paying atten– Did I hurt you!?”_

_  
Jack looked up with a grimace at the taller boy he’d run into. He was reaching out to him like he wanted to help, but didn’t know exactly how. Normally Jack wasn’t too keen on getting to know people from his apartment complex, but the way this boy was looking at him made his frown smooth out into an almost smile._

_  
“I’m fine, don’t worry about it,” he said, and the relief he saw in the big, blue eyes of the other boy made his skin prickle with some unnamed emotion that made his stomach flip. “I wasn’t paying attention either.” Jack held up his phone that he’d been staring at before running into him as if to prove his point._

_  
“Oh, good. I’m still really sorry. I was in a rush to this interview and I was afraid about being late which is why I wanted to leave early, but then I got a call about the location being changed so I might still be late…” The boy trailed off. “Um, sorry. I’m rambling.” He smiled sheepishly._

_  
Jack, who still hadn’t taken his eyes off this strange boy, smiled. “Yeah, you’re kinda like a walking mouth or something.” He meant for it to come across as teasing, but when the boy’s face fell, Jack could tell he’d fallen short. “I, uh… I meant it as a compliment. It’s kind of… cute.”_ Cute, Jack? Now who’s the one with the walking mouth?

_  
The boy’s face flushed. He stuck his hand out in a desperate attempt to change the subject._

_  
“I’m David, from 304.”_

_  
Jack took David’s hand with a smile. “Nice to meet you,_ David from 304. _I’m Jack from 306. Looks like you and me are neighbors.”_

 _  
That got a laugh from David, who looked like he was finally starting to relax, even with the threat of missing his interview. “Nice to meet you too,_ Jack from 306 _.”_

  
Now, David from 304 had at some point sneaked a kitten into his apartment, which was definitely cause for eviction according to the lease agreement they’d all signed.

  
Jack pulled on some sweat pants, not bothering with a shirt, and headed out of his apartment.

  
Not caring who heard, Jack banged on David’s door. Surprisingly, it was opened almost immediately.

  
“Jack from 306, to what do I owe the pleasure?” David grinned, looking terribly guilty.

  
“Well, David from 304,” Jack smiled at their usual greeting, momentarily forgetting his anger. Ever since the day they’d met, that’s how they greeted each other. “I’m here on account of your dirty, little secret keeping me up every night for the past three weeks.” Jack crossed his arms over his chest and watched as David’s smile fell.

  
“Jack…”

  
“Listen, Davey. The walls are a lot thinner than you think.”

  
“I’m sor–”

  
“What were you thinking bringing a kitten in here!?”

  
David sighed and grabbed Jack’s arm to lead him inside. “Quiet down, will you? Before someone else finds out?”

  
Jack stepped into Davey’s apartment and shut the door behind him. “Davey, I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone in the whole building knew by now.”

  
David groaned and sat down on his small sofa where he’d apparently been camping out and watching movies.

  
“Is she really that loud?”

  
As if on cue, the tiny thing wandered into view and meowed.

  
Both Jack and Davey watched as the gray kitten walked around the small living area, continuously crying.

  
“I don’t know what to do to get her to stop,” David whined. “I’ve tried everything. The vet says it’s because she needs another cat to socialize with because she has separation anxiety, but I had enough trouble sneaking  _her_  in here, I can’t just go get another one!”

  
The thought of another cat to keep him awake at night made Jack’s skin crawl. As much as he hated the noise she made, the kitten  _was_  pretty adorable. And he  _did_  like when he got to spend time with Davey. He looked over to where Davey sat with his head in his hands.

  
“Alright, listen.” Jack made his way over to Davey and sat down next to him. “I’ll make you a deal. I won’t go blabbing to Kloppman about you breaking your lease agreement about "no pets”,“ Jack smiled when Davey glared at him with  _you’d better not_  written all over his face. "If you agree to let me pet her.” He’d never had a cat or known anyone else with a cat, and his roommate, Crutchie, was allergic so there’d never been much opportunity to pet one. And the more Jack looked at her, the less he was beginning to hate the little furball.

  
David laughed and scooped the kitten up from where she had nestled against his foot. He plopped her right on Jack’s lap with a soft, “Here.”

  
Jack and the kitten stared at each other for a moment before Jack tentatively pet her head. The cat immediately began to purr, pushing her head against Jack’s hand.

  
“What’d you name her?” Jack asked without looking away from the kitten.

  
“Uh…”

  
Jack glanced up at Davey who was staring at the floor too intently.

  
“What, didn’t you give her a name after all this?”

  
“No, I  _did_ , it’s just…”

  
“Just what?”

  
Jack had stopped petting the kitten, who meowed angrily at him.

  
“Her name… is Jackie.” David turned his head completely away from Jack, who could still just barely see the blush creeping up his neck and onto his cheeks.

  
“Ja…  _what?_ ” Jack laughed in disbelief. “You named her after me!?”

  
David stayed silent as Jack started again with the petting, this time complete with baby talk.

  
“Well, hey there, Jackie. I’m like you’re honorary dad. Yes, I am!” Jack laughed again, looking back to David. “Davey, that’s just about the sweetest thing I ever heard.”

  
Strange how just ten minutes ago, he’d been ready to let Davey really have it.

  
“Well, maybe now she’ll be quiet and won’t bother you anymore now that she knows where her name came from,” David replied stiffly, but turned back to take in the sight of the two of them.

  
Jack was staring at his cat like he’d just felt love for the first time. It warmed David’s heart.

  
“You can come over any time you want and play with her. She… really seems to like you.”

  
“Seriously!? Thanks, Davey. You know I love spending time with you, too, so it’s like a win-win.” Jack grinned down at the now sleeping kitten.

  
That made Davey’s heart flutter. He loved spending time with Jack, and he’d be lying if he said he would mind if Jack came over every day.

  
“See? You tired her out. Now maybe you’ll be able to get some rest.” David stood, thinking that Jack would follow suit to go back to his own bed in his own apartment.

  
“Er… Davey? Could I just crash here for the rest of the night?” He looked up at David with that stupid pout that could make him agree to almost anything.

  
“Jack, honestly, you live right next do–”

  
“Yeah, but look at her! If I get up now, she’ll wake up and who knows if she’ll start meowing again?” Jack’s pout held fast, making David’s resolve waver.

  
With a resigned sigh, David nodded. “Fine. Just… don’t snore too loud, okay?”

  
Jack scoffed, trying to get more comfortable on the couch without waking Jackie. “I do  _not_  snore.”

  
“Mm…” David hummed as he walked to his bedroom. “The walls are a lot thinner than you think, remember?”

**Author's Note:**

> I plan to eventually add on to this, but we'll see. If you guys like it let me know! That'll probably determine whether or not I find the motivation to write more lol.


End file.
